Re: Poll: How deficient is your instructor's abilities in teaching aikido to you?

Frankly, I don't see the objective of this poll. What is the relevance of the results. Culturally, the expectations of a teacher is very different - West vs East. Even the definition of an instructor and definition of a teacher are not the same. The instructor's role is to give instructions as in: "You do what I say or show you"; education is a bonus depending on the students' luck in choosing a dojo. It is like buying a car, either it goes into a workshop after a year's use or after a week's use.

The teacher's objective is to ensure that the students acquire an understanding and appreciation of the instructions. It requires intelligence from the teachers as well as intelligence from the students. It also requires attitude: from the teacher to teach and from the student to learn. A good teacher must have good communications skill. Some do it so naturally even not speaking the same language, merely communicating with their hands and body gestures. Some are so revealing and eager to depart their knowledge. Some just do not explain and are quick to leave the mat/dojo on the dot of the hour - either they are selfish with their knowledge or the lack of it (one cannot share one does not have).

But one can only judge or pick out the teachers from the instructors by having a mix of instructors/teachers at the same or different dojo and even attending seminars. Some dojo produce good quality shodan at the shortest time while some produce bad quality shodan at the longest time. Some never produce a shodan at all.